Jews in Japan?!?!

Where did the Japanese (the Asians, not the Ainus) come from? Korea? China? Israel? Arimasa Kubo, a Japanese Bible lecturer, has found many "similarities" between the Jews and the Japanese. According to Arimasa, after the collapse of Northern Israel in 722 B.C. and their exilement, a few of the Jews made their way eastward. (In fact, China, Afghanistan, India, and other such nations have ancient records of people that behaved similar to the Jews (following Jewish customs and such).) Why not Japan?

He gives many reasons why the Jews were in Japan: a Japanese festival similar to the story of Isaac (I say similar in the "hardly, vaguely, not-at-all" sense), the omikoshi ark things (same kind of similar), and the "similarity" between the Jewish Tabernacle and Shinto shrines (just oozing similarity, neh?). Full article is here.

What do we gather from this? Perhaps there were Jews in Japan. In Isaiah 43:5-7 and 11:10-12 the remnant of Israel is described as being scattered across the earth. But, in these same passages, God is talking of how He is going to draw back the Israelites from these far away places. If there were Jews in Japan, they probably went back to Israel.

Unfortunately, this is not the end of this "Jews in Japan" thing. Apparently Jesus didn't die on the Roman cross, as so many of us have been naively been lead to believe. It was Jesus' brother who was crucified, leaving Jesus himself to flee for Japan, where he married and lived to the age of 104-118 (full article at tofugu.com). But, this is completely wrong. But why so?

According to the Bible, there is one God who has created all things. Yet all people have rebelled against God, and have done things very grievous to God by breaking his laws. These bad things are called sin. The Bible says that all people have sinned, and all deserve eternal punishment in Hell. How can you know if you have sinned? Have you ever sworn? The Bible says, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7) Have you ever stolen? The Bible says, "You shall not steal." (15) Have you ever coveted? The Bible says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (17)

What can a person do to escape this eternal fate of Hell? Be good enough? No one is righteous. No one can save themself. But we still have hope! God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to the earth, so that all people could be saved from Hell. In order for God's justice to be satisfied, someone had to take the punishment for our sins. When Jesus died, he took all of the guilt of our sins and, afterwards, rose again that we may too have new life.

What can someone do to get this salvation? Repent of your sins and have faith in him to save you. God wants all people to believe in Jesus for their salvation, and will draw near to those that come to him. Please think on these things I have said, and consider if they are true.